News

A group of Warrender swimmers have been finalising their preparations this week for the final competitions of the 2007-08 season.

Four swimmers head to Sheffield today for the ASA National Age Group Championships which get under way tomorrow running through until Sunday.  Craig Benson will be a strong contender in several events, and after winning two medals last year he will be looking to return to the podium again this week.  Swimming in the Boys 14 year old age group, Craig will be aiming to capitalise on the improvements he has made in the past few months in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 IM and 100 freestyle events.  He will be joined in the same age group by fast improving Warrender newcomer Connor Wilson who goes in the 1500 freestyle.  Craig and Connor will then team up with Fraser Humphries and Ross McWhirter to contest the 11-14 years 4 x 100 Medley Relay.

Once the Age Championships are done and dusted it's on to the five day ASA National Youth Championships, also in Sheffield's excellent Ponds Forge facility.  Warrender has a strong team of 15 swimmers taking part and should be among the leading clubs at the meet.  In the 17/18 boys category, Ewan Johnston, Andrew Haslett and Craig Purnell will all be targeting finals and medal winning performances.  Ross Woolley, Craig McNally, Callum Shaw, Craig Hamilton and Ryan Archibald will be doing likewise in the 15/16 age band.  On the female side, Helen McRoberts, Katelyn Stewart and Nicole Wilson will head up the 16/17 years challenge, while Jennifer Dobson, Camille Brash and Yasmin Khera will race in the 14/15 years section.  Some of these swimmers will then combine for relay action as the club has qualified a team in all six possible relay events.  Finally, disability swimmer Sean Fraser will also be in action at the meet, as he puts together the last pieces of the jigsaw of his preparation for the Paralympics in Beijing in September.

Finally, Lewis Smith will be heading to Canada this Saturday to compete in a new Tri-Nations International meet for Great Britain against Canada and France on 1-2 August.  Lewis will be contesting the 200 and 400 IM events at the meet which will be held in Quebec City.  He will be joined by Warrender Head Coach Ian Wright who is part of the GB Coaching Staff for the trip.  Coaches Laurel Bailey and Hamilton Smith will head up proceedings in Sheffield throughout this week.

We wish all these swimmers a highly successful end to what has already been another very successful season for the club.